The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-10-14
Sound sense from Governor Hill.

The following extract is taken from
a recent address delivered by Gov. Hill
at the Bath, y. Y. Fair:
There has lately arisen a demand in
some quarters that the government
should assume control of the banks, tele-
graphs and railroads Of the country. This
doctrine is not entirely new, having been
bIoached many times before in our his
tory, but has usually met with little Ia
vOT. Every few years the scheme is
renewed in one form or another, discuss
ed for a while and then abandoned.
The persistency with which IL is pressed
at the present tims is my excuse for al
ludiDg To it at all. 1t may be safely
counted as general rule, that the gov
ernment should not undertake any busi-
ness that Can as we'll be conducted by
private enterprise. There are some
things which, for obvious reasons, the
government may properly manage, as
the postal service, and municipalities
may with pTOpriety, furnish water or
gas TO their constituents, but the line
must be drawn somewhere between gov
ermenal control and private urdeTtak-
ings and il would seem that the func-
tions OF government should not be fur
tier extended. If the government may
pIOkcIll manage All our DdnkS, IcIG-
graphs and railroads, upon the claim
that thereby the interests OF the public
will be better subserved, may il not,
with the same propriety, insist upon
supplying the people with wholesome
meats and cheap and pure foods of all
kinds. Where is the line TO be drawn
when we have once entered upon the eX-
pertinent OF having the government en-
gagged IN general business which more
properly belongs 70 the domain OF indi-
vIdlll effort Private enterprise
should not be encrOached upon by gov
eTnment interference, whenever il can
be reasonably avoided. 1t is not neces-
sary 10 jump out OF the frying pan INTO
the ire in order To afford relief from
these grievances. | am opposed to all
squints toward what is popularity known
as paternal government and believe
that II is the true mission of our peculi-
ar form OF government 10 eucTOach upon
individual enterprise as little as possible.
consistent with the public good. Gov
ernmental control is one thing, but reg
ulation is another.
What has destroyed liberty and the
rights of man in every government
which has ever existed under the sun ?
The geneTaliZing and concentrating all
cares and powers into one body, DO mat
ter whether OF the autocrat of Russia
or France or th- aTiEtOcrats of a Nene-
tlan Senate So far as l am concerned.
l prefer to stand with jefferson and
others, who framed our institutions. in
opposition to multiplying the duties of
government, rather than with these
modern teachers and at the expense OF
the individual citizen, and who try 10
impress upon the people that they are
wards OF the State. rather than intelli-
gent and independent men. whose for
tunes are IN their own hands, and inde-
pendent upon their enterprise, thrift and
ambition. Ours is a free government,
with 20 hereditary features pertaining
10 II: The poorest and humhlest boy
may aspire to its highest position. and
neither social connections nor family
name are sufficient alone 10 confer its
honors upon a CITIZEN. The people rule
and official places should be regarded as
Official trusts TO be conferred because of
merit rather than because of any other
consideration.